Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have rescued 19 young girls who were found to be pregnant for one man in an estate located in Abuja.
The incident was revealed during a meeting held on Friday between NAPTIP’s Director-General, Binta Bello, and the Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
The meeting, which took place at NiDCOM’s headquarters in Abuja, focused on ways to tackle trafficking and protect vulnerable Nigerians.
During the discussion, Bello shared disturbing updates about the agency’s recent work, including the discovery of the 19 pregnant girls.
According to her, these girls were rescued during a raid carried out in the capital last week.
She also mentioned the arrival of nine other girls from Côte d’Ivoire who had been victims of similar abuse.
While acknowledging NiDCOM’s role in previous rescue operations — including the safe return of over 200 Nigerians from Ghana — Bello expressed her agency’s readiness to continue working with relevant partners.
She stressed the importance of collective effort in the fight against human trafficking and promised that NAPTIP would keep protecting the dignity of Nigerian citizens.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on her part, described human trafficking as a problem that requires full cooperation from both government and citizens.
She urged other agencies, including the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), to partner more closely with NAPTIP.
According to her, traffickers should not be allowed to operate in silence and must be exposed to discourage others.
Both officials agreed on the need to create safer migration paths and support victims of trafficking, especially young girls, who are often the targets of such crimes.
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